What’s the Cost of Security and Freedom in Eurasia?

Introducing the 2016 ICT Index of Legislation in 8 countries.

In response to increased rates of terrorism and extremism, states around the world are implementing increased security measures – but what are the costs of these laws on online freedom and ICT development? Through our publication Digital.Report and its subsidiary consulting wing, DR Analytica, we have developed a groundbreaking measurement for evaluating legal developments affecting ICT, comparing three dimensions – Freedom, Security, and the Economic Effect – on four sectors – the State, Society, Business, and the Individual.

The innovative ICT Index is introduced in our inaugural report The 2016 Cost of Freedom and Security in Eurasia and covers 40 legal acts evaluated by 50 national ICT experts in Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, and Tajikistan.

Through the ICT Index Cost of Security and Freedom in Eurasia, two groups of post-Soviet states emerge:

Armenia, Georgia, and Moldova form the first group – opting for a more balanced approach to policy development. The political authorities in these countries aim to increase freedom, while taking the economic effect of the measures implemented into account, leading to a balanced policy, increasing security – in all spheres.

The second group of countries, which includes Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, gave priority to security interests in their 2016 ICT policies, mainly – state security. However, such policy is unbalanced, leading to restrictions on freedoms of individuals and society and, creating a negative economic effect. At the same time, the impact of adopted measures on security seems to be very limited: experts rated it significantly lower than in the countries of the first group.

Tajikistan stands alone. The government there combined actions aimed at expanding freedoms, which was positively evaluated by experts, with restrictive actions that have a negative effect on both the economy and freedom.

In further developing the Cost of Security and Freedom in Eurasia, DR Analytica is inviting additional ICT experts to participate. The Index will be released bi-annually, therefore the next issue is planned for Summer 2017.

The Index will help regulators, policy-makers, and ICT professionals better understand the impact of state decisions on security, online freedom, and economic development in their respective countries.